In keeping with the Mediterranean diet I was prescribed as part of my recovery from open heart surgery in March, I eat two ounces of a nut blend every day. While that blend contains walnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, pistachios and pecans, the star of the show is the almond. When I checked out the nutritional value of almonds I was absolutely shocked at how wonderful this little nut really is…so I just had to share the information with you.
The almond that we think of as a nut is technically the seed of the fruit of the almond tree, a glorious medium-size tree that bears fragrant pink and white flowers. Like its cousins, the peach, cherry and apricot trees, the almond tree bears fruits with stone-like seeds (or pits) within. The seed of the almond fruit is what we refer to as the almond nut.
Almonds are an ancient food that has been written about in historical texts, including the Bible. The Romans referred to almonds as the "Greek nut" in reference to the civilization suggested to have first cultivated them. Almonds are now grown in many of the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea including Spain, Italy, Portugal and Morocco, as well as in California, the only U.S. state that produces them. In 1840, almond trees were brought over from Europe and were first planted in New England. Because the climate on the Eastern seaboard did not support their cultivation, the trees were brought to California where they thrived and continue to do so.
Oooooh They’re So Good
Consumers have new reasons to enjoy almonds as researchers have recently announced that nuts not only taste good, but they're also good for you. Almonds are one of the most nutritious of all nuts. As more and more consumers become dedicated to healthy life-styles experts have found that adding natural foods, such as almonds, to your diet may be the prescription for physical wellness in the 21st century.
Almond benefits include:
Cancer Prevention - Almonds are low in saturated fat and contain many other protective nutrients - calcium and magnesium - for strong bones, vitamin E and compounds called phytochemicals, which may help protect against cardiovascular disease and even cancer.
Phytochemical Powerhouse - Leading nutrition scientists presented their research findings in a symposium entitled "Nuts in a Healthful Diet", as a part of the 1998 Experimental Biology annual meeting. Dr. Gary Beecher, of the USDA-ARS, has analyzed the phytochemical content of almonds and states, "I have never seen this diversity of phytochemicals in a single food source."
